50 Ways To Piss Off Seto Kaiba
by tissesxO
Summary: If there's one person Seto was allowed to kill, his choice would be his cousin, Stella. Driven mad by her friendliness and tendency to hook him up with dates, he will stop at nothing to get her to leave before she exposes his true feelings for Tea.
1. 50 Ways To Piss Off Seto Kaiba

**50 Ways To Piss Off Seto Kaiba**

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**If you have any suggestions on a way to piss off Seto Kaiba, then either mail me or leave a comment  
And I'll get straight on it. Remember there's like, 50 Ways so I'm totally open for suggestion.**

**Thanks!**

**DISCLAIMER: Yu-Gi-Oh or any of it's characters do not belong to me.  
But in a perfect world, Seto Kaiba would be a real person and Yami would never have left for the "Afterlife".**

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If there was anything Seto Kaiba had learnt out of his life as a teenager (apart from believing Yugi and his collection of hocus pocus fairytales, and also that as long as he was a pigheaded jerk, he would never beat his arch rival) it was that there were certain rules that involved cousins who were girls and attended the same school as you.

"Big bro, can you tell me again how you ended up with Tea?" Mokuba asked before the wedding ceremony was about to begin. He handed his brother's DuelDisk which Seto strapped solemnly onto his arm, checking himself in the mirror. Today, Seto was getting married to Tea which was pretty funny actually. Seto had claimed he hated women. The tall President of KaibaCorp didn't answer his little brother, for a stylishly dressed blonde haired girl about Seto's age bounded in with foundation and a make up brush.

"Stella? What are you-" "Come here hun, lemme freshen you up!" Stella walked up to Seto and began to expertly smoothen his already smooth cheeks with the power of her make-up. "You are going to TOTALLY blow her away!" Seto growled as his cousin ignored his attempts to brush her off, and continued to apply unnecessary make-up all over his face. He shot a glare at Mokuba who snickered, "Oh yeah, now I remember..."

Rules one, two and three; Never talk to a girl cousin who attends your school. Never unwittingly or subconciously help a girl cousin who attends your school. And never under any circumstance tell that girl cousin that you're not gay after all, you're interested in women or actually tell her who the girl you've been crushing on is.

Adding a few more rules into his brain, Seto scowled. Never allow this girl cousin physical contact. Never allow her into your house (a definite NEVER) and also, don't tell her what you're really like or show your true personality. Because when you're a CEO of a multibillionaire company,you have no time to allow your cousin to open up the true nature of your humanity to the world. It's very unprofessional and could also cast a shadow across your reputation. It's the ultimate recipe of death.

"Stella, did I ever tell you I hate you?"

Stella only smiled, spraying the delightful scent of expensive cologne on Seto's neck and chest, "I love you too, hun. Now go out there and show her what you got!"

The seventh and most golden rule of all.

Never tell your girl cousin you hate her.

All girl cousins are mind readers and they can tell when you're lying.

Especially when you suck at it.


	2. Mokuba's List

**Mokuba's List**

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**Hi, my name's Mokuba Kaiba. I'm something like eleven years old?  
I don't know, the stupid idiot writing the story doesn't know how old I am!**

**WLx;** Hey! I heard that!

**Woops! Did I say that out loud?**

**WLx**; Yeah, you did you little runt headed pipsqueak!

**Shut it. Anyway, before we get into the actual story, here's a list of things you should never, EVER do.  
Enjoy!**

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**50 Things You Should Never Do To Big Bro; It Pisses Him Off...BIG TIME!**

1. Tell him he really needs to learn how to kiss or else he'll never score girls.

2. Me disappearing/ getting kidnapped. That one really hits it hard.

3. Buy him a chihuahua and name it Joey. Out of all the dogs in the world, Seto hates those fluffy things the most. He says they're too bitchy.

4. Run into his room very early on Sunday morning and yell, "HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!"

5. Hook him up on a date with Tea Gardner. Shit, that really hits it hard!

6. Refer to him as "hun", "hunny-bunny", "lovey", "darls" or "Sety-love". Only one person can say that and survive.

7. Everytime he argues or complains, reply with, "What are you going to do? Hold another tournament that Yugi will SOMEHOW win?"

8. Give his personal information to fan girls and watch the chaos unfold. He makes it out alive somehow. And when he does, revenge becomes fist and foremost.

9. Poke him at random moments, saying that a man can't have a hot body for nothing. He needs a girl to go with it. Keeping poking even if he threatens to have your fingers chopped off.

10. Steal his deck and sell it on eBay. When he cracks a mental and threatens to kill you if you don't tell him why you did it, just say, "It was distracting from your schoolwork and your education. Now go study, young man or you'll be grounded for a MONTH!" Seto doesn't take to kindly to people who think they can boss him around.

11. Make him a theme song and broadcast it on live television for his birthday. Claim it was to spice up his character a bit. Hint: Fergalicious.

12. Buy him a cute hamster and tell him he's proven that he's mature enough to take care of it himself. THAT proved some really nasty results...I think Stella cried? Sorry cuz.

13. Invite all the people who's ever been involved in saving ass over to his house for a thankyou party.

14. Tell him not to worry if he can't beat Yugi Moto. Jealousy will never get him anywhere, and besides, in the future, card games will be played on motorcycles and he won't ever have to worry about beating Yugi at that because he'd be way to old to ride one.

15. Take him to a nightclub in an attempt to get him better acquainted with the female world.

16. Try to teach him how to dance.

17. Use various methods in the hope he will learn how to kiss a girl. (examples include: simulated women, his arm, yourself...)

18. Cosplay him for at an Anime Convention. Apparently, Seto doesn't take to kindly to cosplayers. They don't portray him well enough. Except for maybe the people from WHCG. And in any case, he hates anime conventions. They're his other "mortal enemy".

19. Give him 'The Talk' about sex. And when he tells you that you're not his mom, just shrug and say, "Her dying wish would've been for me to educate you on a topic that your mind is incapable of understanding so there."

20. (In relation to 15) If he asks why you've taken him to a night club, whisper in his ear, "Mokuba's showing signs of homosexuality."

21. Find his diary (yes, Seto has a diary) and post all his secrets onto LiveJournal, FaceBook, Bebo, MySpace and any other social network there is out there.

22. Confiscate his keys and tell him until he's old enough to take responsibility for his actions, he'll have to ride around with you.

23. Sell his favourite car to Yugi for five dollars. When he asks where it's gone, just shrug and say you don't know, but whoever took it left five dollars on the doorstep.

24. Introduce him to using make up to enhance his look. God, he hates that.

25. Spray him with perfume/cologne...he's allergic to the stuff.

26. Hijack his Blue Eyes White Dragon jet so much, it prevents him from using to travel to another country.

27. When he tries to take off into another plane, hijack it and tell everyone to jump off or you'll explode the plane. Reveal that you know Seto Kaiba and that this was all his idea to be the only one on the plane.

28. Re-decorate the house to suit your interests.

29. Refurbish his wardrobe into more teenage friendly attire.

30. Buy him the entire season of Yu-Gi-Oh GX and/or Yu-Gi-Oh 5d's and claim they're the best shows in the world.

31. Invite your girls over for a pool party.

32. Invite your boyfriend over to meet Seto. Lol. Good times.

33. Attempt to manicure his nails. He can't keep his hands still. They normally end up slapping your face.

34. Hug him everytime you see him.

35. Hang out with Yugi and his friends. A.K.A the Geek Patrol.

36. Comment on his attitude and ask why doesn't he say something noble like "I shall save thee." or "Rest here, Kisara and I shall return for you." When he asks why, just say that that's what his Egyptian counterpart talks like and since he hates his "double", pummelling will follow.

37. Force him to sing. Not only does it piss him off. It pisses everyone else off.

38. Send him a bunch of flowers with chocolates during a business meeting. He has a tendency to blush at that sort of thing.

39. Reset his ringtone to 'Caramelldansen' or 'Boom Boom' by Vengaboys, and then call him in a middle of a duel. Normally when he's duelling Yugi is the perfect time because Tea is bound to be there. Tip: Don't ring at a crucial moment where he needs to win because that's just cold.

40. Tell him you're leaving and let him celebrate. After the celebration, tell him you're staying since it's obvious he's going to miss you.

41. Make him breakfast when you don't know how to cook. Breakfast is probably like the only meal he eats a day so prefers the quality and expertise of his hired cooks.

42. Tape him doing something incredibly embarassing (singing in the shower, kissing himself...o.0 it happens)

43. Flirt with the girl he has a crush on at school...TEA!...cough.

44. Walk past the girl he has a crush on...TEA....cough or any other random girl with him and yell, "HEY SETO! IT'S THAT YOU GIRL YOU TOLD ME YOU LIKE! YOU KNOW THE ONE YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO HAVE KIDS WITH?! YEAH, WE JUST WALKED RIGHT PAST HER!"

45. Lock him in any room or bathroom with Tea.

46. Take over his company for one day when he's sick and re-decorate it as "My Little Pony" Land. Remember, Seto likes unicorns. Not horse babies.

47. Tell the girl he has a crush on that he has a crush on her.

48. Claim to be the Ghost of Christmas Past for Halloween. Annoy the shit out of him.

49. Plan his wedding.

50. Say, "I love you."

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**Not only does the simple three word sentence piss him off, he really gets to him. Especially if you're as close to him as Stella. Well, thanks for reading my List of Ways to piss off my big brother. If you have any more suggestions, just flick a message over to WLx over here and she'll include it. **

**So now, you can enjoy you're story! :)**

**I'm Mokuba Kaiba, and this was my two cents. Which in comparison to your two cents is like...50 bucks! **

**Cheaa! x.**


	3. What The Hell Are You Doing Here?

Chapter One - What The Hell Are You Doing Here?

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**NOTE: The following 50 or less chapters do not follow "Mokuba's List" in any particular order.  
Chapters may not conform to the list at all as more and more ways to piss off our favourite CEO accumulates.**

**Also Yami/Atem makes appearances in here...hope you don't mind but...I love the Pharaoh to death!  
It would break my heart not to include him in a fic! So enjoy! :)**

**1# Hanging Out With Yugi and his friends**

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"Hey! Who's the new girl?" Tea whispered over to her boys as they entered the classroom. Yugi, Joey and Tristan shrugged when they saw of their classmates huddled around a girl they had never seen before, preaching about all the reasons why fashion is more important than anything else. Including education. The girl with her sunshine blonde tresses and smiling brown eyes would have never suited the pink jacket and blue skirt uniform of Domino High School, which was probably the reason why she had opted for a more "in" look.

"I dunno..." Joey shrugged, taking his place at his desk, "But we can chat ta' her lata'! She might need some friends ta' welcome her if she's a new student!"

"Right!" Yugi nodded, clutching the Millenium Puzzle dangling from his chain and smiling at the Pharaoh who appeared at his side. "She seems like a nice enough person. Right Pharaoh?"

Atem nodded, "Of course."

Tristan and Tea joined their friends, agreeing that it was a perfectly good idea and planned to talk to her straight after class. They would get the chance to be introduced to her sooner than they thought.

"Oh. Hell. Fucking. NO!"

The gang all looked up at the latest entrant into the class, wondering what Seto Kaiba had a problem with now. For some reason, Kaiba had a stick shoved up his ass whenever he was around anybody, save Mokuba of course, but today, he looked more than just problematic. He looked genuinely pissed off.

"Whatsa matta' Kaiba?" Joey never missed a chance to annoy the heck out of Seto. "You got somethin' other than a stick shoved up ya' butt?!"

"Shut it, mutt." And Seto never missed the opportunity to get down Joey's throat. Which is why Yugi, Tea and Tristan were surprised when Seto dropped the matter entirely and took his seat at the back of the class, his mouth twisted into a scowl. His eyes seemed to be fixed on the new girl and Yugi wondered if Kaiba knew her.

"You know her?"

"Better believe it."

It was fatal. Yugi turned around and saw the girl's gaze lock bang on, ending with her scream of sheer delight. Seto groaned and buried his face in his arms, which was something Yugi and his friends had never seen. Kaiba cowering in the sight of a girl. She was probably a fan girl, but even they, Kaiba could handle. He just employed his methods of walk and ignore on them. But this girl seemed different since he cowered to hiding his head as she pushed away the people who stood in the way of her getting to Seto.

"Seto!"

Kaiba groaned even louder, undecided whether he was angry or simply pissed off as the girl's petite footsteps drew closer. As for Yugi, Tristan, Joey and Tea, they all exchanged glances as the blonde girl gave them a friendly wave before tapping on Seto's bent head, "Knock, knock, hun! It's okay! You don't have to be afraid! It's me, remember? Stella! You're favourite cousin!"

Cousin? Once again the gang exchanged glances. How could anything as bouncy, fashionized and happy as the girl called Stella, be related to Seto? It just did not fulfill all the requirements of being part of the cold, cruel and rich Kaiba family. For one, you had to be a self obsessed dick head that cares for nothing but improving and protecting your company...like Seto. And two, you had to be playful and mischievous like Mokuba, a child who was stuck in a mansion with a workaholic ego inflated maniac you had to call brother.

"Hellooo!" Stella's sweet voice trilled, "Setoooo!"

Regrettingly lifting his head, Seto growled, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Didn't my mom call you?! Remember! She's away on a business trip so she called you to ask if I could stay over. And you said YES!"

Seto remembered that part. His Aunt Sharon came over at least once every year. And before you ask, no. She wasn't part of his group of relatives that stole his original inheritance when he was orphaned. That was his dad's side. Sharon was his mother's sister and because of that, she was one of the very few adults that he could stand. After all, she resembled his mom in many ways. It was just Stella. Sharon had called him while he was busy signing KaibaCorp documents and filling out ordering forms and as much as Seto would've loved to chat to his aunt, he needed to get rid of her as soon as possible so he could focus on his work. And the quickest way to do that was to just say 'yes' to whatever his aunt was saying.

* * *

"Darling, it's so nice to hear from you! I hope I'm not bothering you!" Seto grunted in response, his right hand scribbling his signature all over thousands of documents like crazy and his left hand pressing the phone to his ear.

"Not at all, Aunt Sharon. Not at all!" He wasn't even listening to her properly.

"Listen honey, I'm going to be away for about three months so I won't be able to come see you this time round. But Stella misses you and Mokuba like crazy so I'm sending her over to your house to stay. Would that be alright love?"

"Yes, aunt. Yes, yes. Anything else?"

"Oh thankyou for asking! You're such a sweetheart, just like your mother."

She wouldn't know what she was talking about, Seto thought as he repeated a "yes".

"Stella will be going to your school while she stays with you. Please take good care of your cousin, love?"

"Yes, aunt. Of course."

"Splendid! She'll be over next week!"

"Yup!"

Seto put down the phone, forgetting the conversation altogether and focused on his full on sign and write strategy. It was no duel, but just like any other duel, it had to come to an end. After all, a duel won't play itself and papers would follow suit. They wouldn't fill themselves out.

* * *

Peeking his head beneath his arms, he sulked, "Stella, meet the geek patrol. Geek patrol, meet the Angel of Doom, Destruction and Death-OW! What the heck was that for!"

Joey and Tristan snickered as they watched Stella give Seto a sharp reminder why it isn't nice to mock other people.

"Seto Jasmindine-Arcelus Sebastian Alexiel Dustin Kaiba, you should know better than to call other people names!" Yugi and Tea couldn't help but feel their insides punching to burst out in laughter when they heard what Seto's full name was. Yugi, because he was a respectful boy and didn't ever torment his rivals, particularly his arc-rival. And Tea, well, because she didn't really like to shove people's medicine right back at them. It just wasn't in her nature. And any way, it was just Kaiba and even he didn't deserve to be ridiculed over a name. Of course, the Pharaoh had no problem with that as he hollered with laughter. He was a spirit and a lucky one too. Seto sunk back into the fortress of his arms. He knew he was being out of character, and Yugi's robotic cheerleaders were getting the mean mickey out of him. Especially Tea.

An unconcious blush crept on to Seto's cheeks when Tea crossed his mind. Another out of character trait that Stella exposed in him. God, he hated girl cousins. He was Seto Kaiba after all and shouldn't be swayed by a mere girl cousin. Annoying, prissy head, good for nothing little kids they were. The only difference between Stella and every other girl cusin in the world was the fact she was _his _cousin. And was therefore the queen of all girl cousins. _Damn you, Stella!_

"Stella! Do you have to say that out loud in front of them!" Seto yelled from inside his arms. "BITCH!"

That little word only earned him another slap and a further scolding from Stella. She didn't tolerate foul language and expected far better from her President CEO of a cousin. Ditching her radiant smile, she raised her hand and called over the homeroom teacher who had next to no idea who she was, "Excuse me, teacher! This boy over here has been using foul language and I wish to know what is the punishment for such ugly behaviour. Because whatever it is, I want it dealt to him accordingly!"

"You can't do that!" Seto spat, towering over Stella to his full height. She wasn't exactly as tall as him, but that didn't shake her as she turned to the teacher who was stuck in quite a position. No teacher had ever dared to put Seto to detention which was the regular punishment for swearing, because all hell waited for the person who dared to be first. "I can do whatever I want when my cousin isn't showing his manners, now let's have it, miss Teacher! What will it be?"

"D-d-detention!" The teacher stuttered.

"WHAT! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Seto screamed and would've lunged an attack if Stella hadn't stopped him and charmingly reassured the teacher, "Don't worry about Seto here. He does that when he gets angry. But really, he's just a puppy."

The teacher nodded, trying her best to shoulder Seto's icy daggers shooting from his eyes as she went to the front of the class.

"What the hell was that?!" Seto said through gritting teeth. Stella didn't answer him and chose the desk beside him. She only closed her eyes and lifted her chin in the air, trying to forget that she had raised her voice and gotten angry. She was a happy-go-lucky girl who tended to act like an immature 5-year-old girl when she wanted to but there was something about teasing other people and swearing that she couldn't handle. It was a clear reminder of her past. And Stella certainly didn't want to go there again. Compelling herself to calm down and break a smile, Stella finally said, "You shouldn't treat people that way, Seto. They're _human_ just like _you_."

Seto would've given his cousin a piece of his mind but the teacher had called her to the front to introduce herself. So he settled for staring her down from the back of the class, shutting out any crude remarks the Mutt and his Monkey Friend (meaning Joey and Tristan) had for him.

"Class, this is Stella McAlister. She will be with us for the next three months so kids, play nice!"

"Hi, everyone!" Stella waved cheerfully, eyeing her celebrity cousin down the back and the four people he called the 'geek patrol'. "As you already know, my name is Stella. S-T-E-L-L-A and I think I'm something like...eighteen? Nineteen? Uhh...seventeen? Anyway, that doesn't matter. The important thing is that I love the colours green, pink, orange and yellow, I don't like people trying to ruin world peace by mocking and cussing each other and as everyone knows, I love fashion! Thanks!"

Seto readied himself to fully ignore Stella when she came to sit beside him, knowing it would annoy her big time. She was quite a chatterbox and didn't appreciate being shunned. Especially by family. And since she had got him onto detention, it was the perfect way to get her back. As the President of a huge gaming corporation, you would think Seto would use his brain and just ignore the unwanted detention. But for this time, he forgot that. One needed more than just money and a shiny company to combat the deadly species known as the "Girl Cousin". So Seto waited for Stella to join him and because she was family, he expected her to sit right next to him.

Stella on the other hand had other ideas. Without a second look to her cousin's favour, Stella joined Yugi, Joey, Tristan and Tea.

"Sorry about my cousin," Stella apologised politely with a smile, "But let's try this again. I'm Stella..."

"I'm Yugi Moto!" Yugi shook hands with Stella who recognised the legend's name immediately and exclaimed, "Oh so you're the King Of Games who gives Seto a good trouncing everytime you two duel! You're my hero!"

Joey sniggered and laughed, "Hey, you're pretty alright, mate! Tha' name's Joey Wheeler! The uh...Godfather of Games!"

Tristan and Tea rolled their eyes and tried to hide their muffled laughter when Stella said, "Never heard of yuh! But hi, Joey!"

"I'm Tristan!"

"And my name is Tea..." Stella grinned warmly as she shook hands with Tea. There was something about this Tea girl that made her feel warm inside. You know, that kind of feeling when you meet someone and you know that somehow you two are connected in some weird, freaky way. "Pleased to meet you, Tea...I'm dickface's cousin. Hard to tell right?" Stella's almond eyes rested on Seto who looked like he was just about ready to explode right now. His face was all red and his normally expressionless blue eyes held only the worst for Stella. She followed his eyes, finding it a surprise when Stella realised who they were on. Not only was he pissed off at Stella for hanging out with Yugi, Seto was embarassed it was in front of Tea.

"Yeah, it is!" Tea giggled prettily and Stella shrugged, "Oh well..."

Yes, there was something about Tea that intrigued Stella and she knew the answer lay in Seto's eyes.

* * *

"Let me get some rules straight!" Seto chucked his bag into the limo and climbed in after Stella, slamming the door shut as he did, "Do NOT hang out with the- with Yugi and his mates!"

"How old do you think I am, three?" Stella exhaled as she began to rummage through her bag. Frustrated that she couldn't find what she was looking for, she tumbled the contents out onto her lap. "I'll make friends with who I want, thankyou mister Seto Kaiba and don't bring up your detention on me. That was your mishap. You swore. You got what everyone else gets when they swear. So zip, zilch, zero, nada!"

"Congratulations," Seto remarked sarcastically as he ordered the limo to go pick up Mokuba from school. The poor kid was probably wondering where he was. "You learnt how to use a thesaurus."

"Congratulations, you learnt how to crack a joke..." Stella found what she was looking for, a makeup brush, and began to even out her skintone with foundation. "Want some?"

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Piss me off every time you come to stay over with me?"

"I don't do it, you piss yourself off because it somewhat 'annoys you'." The blonde girl finished off her brushing and began on her lipstick, "So just chillax mate. Take a chill pill. Oh and here..." Stella stuffed everything back into her bag, stopping short of a condom packet and threw it to Seto. "I know it might be a little too big for you, but I don't think they had your size at the store I went to."

Seto narrowed his eyes, understanding what Stella was implying, "What are you trying to say?"

"That your small, little boy down there couldn't possibly fill Tea one square inch!"

"Gardener? When the hell did she come in?"

"You like her don't you!" Stella chimed in that sunny voice Seto would give anything to strangle and silence.

"I do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"DO TOO!"

"DO NOT!"

"DO TOO!"

"DO NO-"

"Oh MY GOSH! Stella's here!"

"Mokuba!"

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**Random fic I know...R/R...anythinq, praise, criticism...take your pic.**


	4. Hide And Seek

**Chapter 2# Hide And Seek**

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**Remember when you were little and you used to play hide and seek?  
Dedicated to all the good memories [of which, I have none] of those times I played  
Hide&&Seek :)**

* * *

Mokuba Kaiba smiled to himself as he sat next to his brother during the ride home. He couldn't stop mouthing a silent "hi" at his cousin, Stella who grinned contagiously back at him. The moment he had seen her in the car, Mokuba had tackled Stella in a massive hug and earned a mini lecture about controlling himself from Seto.

"You never told me Stella was coming today!" Mokuba had exclaimed.

Seto had glowered, folding his arms crossly giving him a brooding impression. He wasn't sure what to make of Stella's arrival. Half of him was furious that she would be spending the next three months staying in his home, attending his school, annoying him with her blonde antics. "There was a reason for that you know."

Seriously! The girl was capable of tripping over a cordless phone and spending weeks designing bikinis for Eskimo women.

The other half of him was actually quite glad. Seto wasn't quite sure why, and he would never openly admit this out loud, but it was actually comforting to be visited by someone related to him from his mother's side. He would've never wanted to see his father's relatives. Bastards. They had squandered the inheritance money he and Mokuba had received after their parents died. Even Gozaboru's family was pretty demented. Thank God they were all pretty much dead.

"Seriously, Mokie, you need to teach your brother here to be much more welcoming to your favourite cousin!"

Seto rolled his eyes and Mokuba giggled. "Stella, you're our only cousin!"

"I am not!"

"I think you'll find you are."

"Oh yeah!"

Mokuba shook his head and leant back in his seat. He could tell by the annoyed look on Seto's face that Stella would be staying for quite a long time.

The young boy grinned with glee. He knew nobody pissed Seto off more than Stella. Glancing at his older brother, Mokuba thought about Tea Gardener. Mokuba knew his brother had worked so hard to develop an impenetrable mask that nobody can see through. But even the cold, heartless exterior wasn't enough to hide Seto's humanity.

There were so many times Mokuba had caught Seto staring at the crystal blue eyed girl with short brunette hair and a lithe dancer's body. So many times Mokuba would walk into his brother's office situated in their mansion home, and find Seto gazing into space.

* * *

"_Why don't you ever get a girlfriend, bro?" Mokuba asked Seto, bounding happily into the limo that had come to pick him up from school._

_The indifference on Seto's face never wavered as his fingers travelled smoothly across the keys of his keyboard._

"_Why would I need a girlfriend for when I have you? And besides, if I wanted a girl, there's plenty of no names out there on the street."_

"_Yeah, but you're never the type to just get some random prostitute from off the street. That's just not Seto Kaiba." Mokuba smiled. "And I know you have me, but it's not enough. You need a woman, Seto. A W-O-M-"_

"_Yes, Mokuba. I know what a woman is. And I know how to spell the word too!"_

"_So go and get you one! It would be fun to have a sister!"_

"_Girl's are gross, Mokuba. They chew you up, spit you out and stomp all over you."_

"_Yeah, I know girl's are yuck. But Tea's not!"_

* * *

Mokuba chuckled lightly to himself when he remembered what had happened after he had mentioned Tea. Seto had packed his laptop neatly into it's suitcase and gone on and on about not bringing up the geek squad in their conversations. Mokuba could still remember ignoring every word with a mischievous grin on his face. Of course, Mokuba knew better than to believe Seto hated hearing about Tea. He could literally feel the muscles in Seto's palms clench for him whenever they saw Tea hanging out with Yugi in the weekend.

"What are you smiling at?" Seto asked his little brother, when the limo pulled into the long, paved driveway of their mansion home.

With one eye on Seto and the other on Stella, Mokuba answered innocently, "Oh nothing. Just thinking of all the things me and Lala are gonna do once you lock yourself up in your little office after dinner."

"There will be nothing that you will be doing with..." Seto paid no attention to the idiotic grin on Stella's face as she exited the limo. "Stella...or whatever you call her. Somehow everything she does affects me in some way."

Mokuba only shrugged and smirked evilly, "Don't worry, bro. It won't hurt you in any way..."

"Sweetie, there's a letter here for you!"

Tea Gardener was upstairs studying for history when her Mom called her downstairs. The perpetual smile on her face was gone as she chewed on the end of her Bic pen, trying to understand the notes she had taken in history class that day. Of course, they were only one-liners and she could've written more if it hadn't been for Joey and Tristan blowing spit balls all over the room. Tea sighed and the smile returned as she put her pen down and called back to her Mom, "Coming!"

Those two. Joey Wheeler and Tristan Taylor. She loved them to bits.

"Is it my acceptance letter?" Tea asked eagerly. She had applied to study at Julliard a few months back and had hoped that the letter that came back from the university of her dreams was full of good news. "Did you open it? Did I get accepted?"

"Whoa, calm down, babe!" Mrs. Gardener placed her hands on her excited daughter's shoulders. "It's only a letter. And it came in a pink envelope."

"Oh," Tea shrugged and took the envelope that her mother had handed her. Mrs. Gardener leant down and kissed the top of Tea's head.

"Dear Tea," Tea read aloud the messy handwriting scribbled in untidy rows on the letter, "Just wondering if you wanted to come over for a garden party that Seto's hosting on Saturday afternoon. It's for business and I swear, it's probably going to be REALLY boring! So could you come? I'd really appreciate it. Mokuba."

Mrs. Gardener eyed Tea suspiciously after she had finished the letter.

"Is Mokuba a boy?"

Tea blushed and folded the letter before placing it back in the envelope. "Yes, mom. Mokuba is my friend."

"He wouldn't happen to be... I don't know...a boyfriend, perhaps?"

"Mom! He's twelve years old!"

Mrs. Gardener laughed, "Oh. Right. I never knew my daughter was popular with the younger generation-"

"Mom!"

"Just kidding, hun." Mrs. Gardener headed towards the kitchen, throwing a cheeky wink. She was a cool kind of mom, in Tea's mind. Understanding, over-protective and someone she could always talk to. Sure, her mother had her weird moments but Tea loved her alot. "You hungry? I can make you something to eat."

Tea thought of the letter in her hands. Come to think of it, she was pretty hungry.

"Yeah, thanks mom. I'd really like that."

When Tea's mom disappeared into the kitchen, Tea found herself blushing slightly as she stared at the letter she had received from Mokuba. If Mokuba was inviting her to a garden party that his CEO of a brother was hosting, she was sure to see Seto Kaiba there.

"I see him everyday..." Tea reminded herself, her face reddening even more when she realised who she was thinking about and she bolted upstairs to her room.

* * *

Seto Kaiba stretched in his leather chair. He had just spent most of the afternoon working on a new gaming system he would be releasing by autumn next year and compiling reports from all the HODs of his company. It was a delicious Saturday afternoon and he hadn't seen or heard of Stella all day/

"Now, that's what I call the perfect day." Seto brushed his chocolate brown hair with his fingers. Something puzzled him though. He hadn't seen or heard from Mokuba either. For the past few days since Stella arrived, she and Mokuba had been tormenting him, pulling him away from his precious work.

Like three days ago, when Stella wanted to go shopping. She had greased up to him for money and when Seto asked her why she didn't just use her own money to buy her the "super gorgeous" red hot dress from Chanel that matched her red Prada shoes perfectly, Stella only shot him a dazzling smile. Seto growled at the thought of her blinding white teeth. His growled rumbled threateningly from his chest when he recalled placing five hundred dollars in her hand because Stella had conveniently left her wallet back home.

Of course, Mokuba had followed suit. The younger Kaiba wasn't a prodigy like his brother, but his mind was still as sharp as a knife and he used Stella to help him get to the new arcade that was opening in downtown Domino. Seto never had a care for such common places, and had hoped to train Mokuba to develop a dislike for them. But Seto knew his brother liked that sort of stuff. Mokuba was the child he had been unable to be due to the death of his parents and Gozaboru's slave driving. But it still took a sharp look from Stella to convince Seto to take them to miss out two hours worth of work to take them to the arcade.

Seto didn't know what it was. Sometimes Stella wasn't a cousin at all. She was more of a mom. Always telling him how to raise Mokuba without having to say anything. Always scolding his tendency to work until he exhausted himself to the next cup of coffee. And as much as Seto despised her and what she did, he listened because at the end of the day, she was correct. Stella had older brothers and sisters from her father's previous marriage. So she kind of had a feel for knowing how to raise a younger child, just by taking in how her brothers and sisters had treated her. Sure, Seto worked his ass off to give Mokuba the best possible future. But the point Seto understood that Stella was trying to get across was that Mokuba wasn't interested in living off his brother's hard work. He was interested in the quality time he could only get from Seto.

Stacking the last of his reports neatly on his desk, Seto decided to come home for afternoon tea. Since Stella came to the mansion, he had had to make arrangements for the low fat crumpets and soda whater that she loved so much to be served to her in the Kaiba Mansion gardens. He knew Mokuba would probably join her with a whole years supply of junk food at his disposal.

"I'm going to spend time with my brother," Seto told himself, actually surprised at how strange the words felt on his toungue. He guessed it was because he hadn't said them in a very long time.

Just as Seto had stored all his files and papers away in a secure location, the intercom turned on.

"Mr. Kaiba?" The shaky voice of his personal assisstant, Jane, transmitted through the surround sound system.

Seto growled and grabbed the microphone waiting patiently for him on his desk. "What is it?" Sometimes he got sick of how Jane was always scared of him. Why didn't she just quit if he intimidated her so much?

"An e-mail has been sent from an anonymous address. It's a ransom note."

"Ransom? I haven't lost any- oh my God."

"It's for your brother and your cousin, sir. The person doesn't ask for any money. They only ask that you come find them before it's too late."

"Then it can't be classified as a ransom then, can it?"

Seto slammed the off button on the intercom and tore out of his office and out of his buliding. Stella, he wasn't too worried about. She would probably be crying her eyes out so much that whoever kidnapped her would've released her. Stella did wail like a dying cat. It was so annoying, Seto could swear it was impossible for anyone to kidnap her without losing the functions of their ear drums.

It was just Mokuba. NOBODY messes with Kaiba family and gets away with it. And Seto was going to make sure the punk who threatened to hurt his brother would never forget it.

* * *

**Part 2 in a few short days...**


	5. Pool Party!

**Chapter 3# Pool Party!**

_"Put my hands up, they're playing my song. The butterflies fly away. Nodding my head like yeah. Movin my hips like yeah. Put my hands up they're playing my song and I know I'm gonna be okay. It's a party in the USA!" Miley Cyrus._

Okay, this chapter is kind of like the sequel to Chapter 2# Hide and Seek. Later on, though, I'll have to merge the two together and make them one chapter because then that's more common sense that seperating it into two. Well, to me anyway.

So yeaaah, tah! Xx

* * *

Tea Gardener stood outside the gates of the Kaiba Mansion, dressed in a buttermilk wintercoat and matching boots to protect her from the chill of autumn. One of the things that puzzled her about this garden party that Mokuba had invited her to was it was being held in autumn. Not that she knew anything about throwing a garden party since her family didn't have a big, fancy garden to throw one in like the Kaibas probably had. But that still didn't change the fact that it was autumn and it was really cold at this time of the afternoon. Tea had seen garden parties on television a couple of times. They all involved teacups and crumpets sitting atop intricately designed tables. Ladies in short dresses. Men in fine suits. Normally on a nice spring day.

Shrugging at the rant about garden tea parties taking place in her mind, Tea rang pressed the intercom button for the fifth time since she had arrived at the gates. Her skin was crawling with excitement at the thought of entering the Kaiba Mansion for the first time. She had always wanted to visit this mansion that housed two totally different people who happened to be the closest of brothers. She wanted to see what made them so different. Why was Mokuba such a sweetheart while his brother was a jerk? What was it that made Seto Kaiba so antisocial and Mokuba so friendly towards everyone?

_Or rather, what makes Seto Kaiba so incredibly delicious to look at… _The nasty voice locked up in her mind's police station, teased Tea through it's prison bars.

Tea blushed at the thought and desperately looked around the scenery for something that would distract her from thoughts of Seto Kaiba. She wasn't here for him. She was here for Mokuba.

_Sure, you are…_ Tea hissed a small "shut it" before focusing on the state of the…sky. Yeah, the sky was a nice distraction.

"What are you doing here, Gardener." A quiet voice filled with amplifying indifference and confidence startled Tea. She jumped and whipped around.

"K-K-Kaiba."

Seto glared at the girl who was constantly around the geek squad, standing there, blubbering like an idiot.

"Well?"

"Mokuba invited me over," Tea stammered, regretting her decision to come as Seto's glare intensified. "He said he needed me."

"Why would my little brother need you?"

Tea had no answer for Kaiba's rude remark and she turned away, knowing her face was as red as a tomato. She wanted to slap his face for being such a jerk. But this was Kaiba's way. He was always a jerk. Even to people who only meant well.

"Well, are you going to stand there like an idiot or are you actually going to come help me find my brother?"

"What?" Tea at the mention of Kaiba's last words. "What's wrong? Where's Mokuba."

"Someone's kidnapped him and my cousin," Kaiba's words were smooth and careful. There was indication that he was afraid for either Mokuba or Stella. But Tea read his concern and fear off his eyes. "They offered no ransom but hid them somewhere. All I have to do is find them." His words were so full with emotion. He was pissed off.

"Then you shouldn't be coming home to find them," Tea said, waiting for Seto who opened the gates to his mansion with a remote. "You should be contacting police and all that sort to come help you."

"I don't need any of that."

Tea raised an eyebrow as Kaiba motioned for her to follow him if she wanted to. She did and wondered why he was just going to leave his car in front of his gate. Presently, the answer came as a man clad in black emerged from the mansion and drove the car onto the driveway. Kaiba certainly lived a strange life.

Even stranger was the fact that he wasn't going to use any outside resources to help him locate his brother and cousin. Normal people would've had five police cars zooming down the road with at least three detectives working on the case. Some over obssessed people included a psychic in the search. Kaiba didn't seem to want any of that. Tea guessed it was because to him, family was his own responsibility. He didn't want anyone else to help him recover what he should've been looking after.

Maybe… if she just asked him why then she would have a better understanding. Of course, all thoughts of thinking dissolved when Kaiba opened the double doors that revealed the lobby of his mansion. Tea had to clench her teeth together to stop her jaw from falling. The lobby alone was magnificent. Mosaic on the floor. Chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There were statues guarding the grand marble looking staircase carpeted royal blue with silver trimmings. Everything was so grand and spectacular. The very air of the lobby was ornamented. Tea had never seen a more beautiful house.

"Come." Kaiba tossed over his shoulder, knowing exactly where he was going. "I have a feeling they're waiting for us."

"Who?" Tea asked, longing to stretch out her arms and do a graceful turn on her toes. The lobby would certainly make a great place to dance for a few minutes.

"My brother and my cousin, who are both going to be in a lot of trouble."

Tea cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips. The man couldn't get any stranger, could he? "Kaiba, I don't think they should be getting in trouble if-"

Her words halted in her mouth when she heard a familiar Brooklyn accent yelling, "Hey, Mokuba ! Chuck as the ball, will ya!"

Splash.

"Mokuba ! You little runt head!"

"Joey, leave the kid alone. It is his house and he did invite us over!"

"Butt out, Tris-Duke! Back away from Serenity!"

More splashes.

Tea pursed her lips when she finally realized what was going on. Kaiba had probably sorted out the situation ten minutes ago. So she followed him into a corridor. This was a set up.

* * *

Stella McAlister sat in her favourite spot in the Kaiba Mansion gardens. She wasn't really a flowery girl, even if her feminine personality gave a person the impression that she did. She only liked one type of flower. The big, huge yellow ones known as sunflowers.

Stella fingered the petals of a sunflower with her manicured nails. She was so happy with herself. Her record time for thinking was one minute and thirty-three seconds. It was now officially one minute and thiry-nine. It was even a brainy topic. Jimmy Choo.

But sitting amongst the sunflowers, waiting for Mokuba to come and get her, left plenty of time for Stella to think about things she often had trouble keeping her mind off from. She tugged at the stem of the sunflower, so much like herself.

Yellow fringing black.

Happiness surrounding the core of insecurity and sorrow.

Yes. That was the reason sunflowers were her favourite. They were so much like herself. Stella lay on the grass, hands behind her head and stared at the sky. The colours of the setting sun set the endless azure on fire. Sometimes, she questioned whether she and Seto were really different.

For so many years, whenever she came over for the summer, the business people that worked with Seto who met her, always speculated at how they could be related. Seto just seemed so different from Stella. His emotions frozen away on some obscure island in his heart. His exterior a cold and hardworking man who never gave his competitors the benefit of a chance. Not even a small one. Stella was supposedly different. A happy girl with a ready smile as everyone called her. It was almost impossible not to be friends with Stella. People even scolded Seto for refusing to acknowledge her as his cousin.

But of course, only Stella knew herself and what she was really like. Underneath her smile, underneath her laughter was a lost little girl with eyes full of insecure tears. Like the large, dark disc fringed by bright yellow petals, the core of Stella's heart was sadness. An aching loneliness that she never wanted anyone else to know about.

Since she was a child, she had felt it. Her parents were seperated. For three seasons of a year, she lived with her father, stepmother and three stepsisters who were extremely beautiful. Not just beautiful. But model material hot. The family history was complicated, and being the odd child out, Stella often braved the penalty for being the bastard child. Sure, she wasn't perfect and maybe didn't keep her room tidy or refused to complete her chores. But sometimes her stepmother blew the smallest situations out of proportion, favouring her own children far above Stella.

Her father wasn't much help either. He was a preschool teacher, adamant about education coming before boyfriends, cars and sex. He was paranoid all the time that Stella would get involved in a relationship and was constantly changing her schools. Part of the reason why Stella didn't really have real friends. But it gave her the chance to learn a very special technique that her cousin, Seto had mastered quite a while back.

The ability to create a mask to hide behind one. A happy, stereotyped blonde mask that was sure to cover her true feelings.

"Stell?"

Stella looked up, smiling for her young cousin who bounded into her quiet area.

Mokuba gave her a sidelong look. "Oh. My God, Stell. Have you been thinking again? Don't you know that thinking makes frown lines on your forehead?"

Stella stuck out her tongue at the younger boy and let him help her to her feet. She marvelled at his growing height, knowing that by the end of the summer, when he started junior high school, he would be up to her shoulder and not her elbow.

"You're growing up, kiddo."

Mokuba grinned his famous devil-may-care smile and took Stella by the hand, "Come on. Everyone's waiting for us."

When Stella walked into the outdoor pool area, not far from the entrance to the gardens, she pulled her party shades over her eyes and took off the short white dress she wore. It may be autumn, but the outdoor pool was always heated at this time of the year. She waited for Mokuba to jump in with the friends he had invited over, envious that the boy had something she was lacking. Friends. Real friends.

"Hey, Mokuba ! Chuck as the ball, will ya!" Joey, the blonde, called out to Mokuba who was picking up the beach ball that had landed outside of the pool. Tristan, Duke, Serenity and Yugi wading around in the pool with him.

Splash. Mokuba jumped in, getting everyone wet.

"Mokuba ! You little runt head!"

"Joey, leave the kid alone. It is his house and he did invite us over!"

"Butt out, Tris-Duke! Back away from Serenity!"

Stella grinned, wishing she had the friends Mokuba had. Laying down on her long chair, Stella picked up a glass of lemonade and sipped on it. Seto should be here any minute with Tea, just like she and Mokuba had planned. She couldn't wait to see the look on her cousin's face when he discovered this pool party in the USA. Whatever his reaction, it was bound to be priceless.

"Hey, Stella!"

Stella lifted her shades, and leant over the side of her long chair, looking out to whoever had called her. It was Joey. He grinned goofily, "Come on, girl. You gotta join in the fun!"

It was like static. Automatic. Fate never failed to be on her side and a chilling voice objected to Joey's invitation.

"Not on your life, mutt."

Stella smirked at her cousin who didn't look impressed at all with the situation he was faced with. His scowl looked meaner than usual and she was sure once everyone was gone, hell would break loose on her. But that was exactly what she wanted to happen. Mokuba's eyes shot directly at her, anticipating what Stella would say next.

"Why, hello cousin," Stella addressed Seto in a sickly saccharine tone. "Nice of you to drop by. Hello, Tea. How are you?"

Tea emerged from behind Seto, shyly in front of her friends who all exchanged puzzled looks except for Yugi who only stared. Something Stella had missed in her calculations was Tea's friends reactions to the situations. Of course, she didn't know what friends were like and only thought it funny to invite them over. She didn't realize that there might've been a friend who harboured extra feelings for this girl that Stella had her sights set on hooking up with her cousin.

"I'm good, thankyou." Tea said, her cheeks bright pink. Her crystal blue eyes scanned the pool before her. Not a single look from her friends seemed pleased. Except for Mokuba who splashed out of the pool and gave her a big wet hug. "Tea! You came!"

"Mokuba!" Tea hissed into his ear. "I thought you said there was a garden party."

"Woops," Mokuba laughed shakily, "I meant pool ."

"Alright, you all have five minutes to get off my property before I call my security!" Seto barked at his unwanted guests who sullenly climbed out of the pool, thanked Mokuba and slunk out with their towels and things. "Except for you, Gardener." Seto glared at Stella, even though he was talking to Tea, "Apparently, when Stella wrote you an invitation to this…party, she didn't mention you had to bring change. Mokuba, take Gardener upstairs into Stella's room to find something to change in."

Mokuba nodded obediently, yanked on the sleeve of Tea's buttermilk coat and led her into the mansion. As they left, Tea looked over her shoulder at Seto and Stella. Kaiba wasn't facing her, but Stella was and she gave Tea a teasing wink. A slight red graced Tea's cream coloured cheeks and she turned her head straightforward as Mokuba led her back inside.

Once they were gone, Seto, as predicted, let all hell loose.

"Stella, what the hell are you playing at?"

"Nothing, cousin," Stella smiled as if she were high on drugs, "I wasn't playing games. I was throwing a _party."_

"Stella. You e-mailed me, pretending you and Mokuba were kidnapped. You invited Tea over for a garden party that was never planned, organized or held, knowing that she would meet me here. And to top it all off, you invited the GEEK SQUAD! Of all people in the world, dammit! Argh! What was that for!"

"I told you," Stella frowned, retrieving her hand after she had slapped Seto with it, "You don't call people names. Especially, perfectly good people like Mokuba's _friends_. Besides, your girlfriend is part of the so-called geek squad."

Seto narrowed his eyes as Stella took a seat on the long chair, crossing her legs in a most elegant manner, "She's not my girlfriend, Stella."

"Want me to teach you how to kiss her?"

Seto clenched his fists, forcing himself to keep his cool. Calming down, he closed his eyes and spat back, "I've kissed women before. I don't need _your_ help."

"Really? Name five that I can ask Mokuba or Roland about and they would, without hesitation, say yes, you did."

Stella simpered triumphantly as Seto pursed his lips together in a tight, angry line. Clearly, he hated to be cornered. "Stella, I don't like her."

"Whatever…" Stella sang in that sunshine voice as she hopped off her chair and plunged into the pool. Coming up for air, she teased, "I've seen the way you look at her."

"Stella, I don't like her."

"Bet I can get a date with her faster than you can."

Seto folded his arms, "That can never happen. She's not lesbian."

"Doesn't matter." Stella pushed herself out of the pool and flopped onto the deck, water dripping from her body. She grabbed a bright green towel that waited for her on the long chair and picked up the dress she had discarded earlier. "If you're not man enough to ask a girl that you clearly _like _on a date, then I'm willing to bet my virginity that I can score a date with her before you can!"

"Stella, I'm willing to bet the entire Kaiba Corp fortune that you're not virgin."

Stella paused for a moment. "Okay, I admit, you got me there. But still. I would bet a list of ten insane dares that I'll get a date with Tea Gardner before you can."

Seto Kaiba smirked at his cousin. He had convinced himself a long time ago that although he hated women with every fibre of his existence, he could still have them falling at his feet in minutes. And as much as he disliked the Geek Squad's friendship cheerleader, he believed he could get her. She was just a girl right? All girls were the same? Seto frowned when he took Stella into consideration. Well, almost. At least Tea wasn't as evil as Stella.

"Well, dear cousin, since your so anxious to get your ass kicked and because I'm Seto Kaiba and I never back down from a challenge," Seto extended his hand to Stella who looked like she was going to cry, "You're on...what the hell is wrong now?"

Stella grabbed her cousin's hand and used the sleeve of his shirt to dry her eyes and blow her nose. Seto pulled back his hand, utterly disgusted by this girl he was forced to call his cousin. Seriously, how was she even a girl? She just wiped her nose on his shirt. Not even Mokuba would do that. It was just...unappropriate.

"Stella, what the hell?"

A sincere smile spread across Stella's lips as she sniffed, "You actually called me your cousin! Night!" And she took off into the mansion, ready to finish the bet off barely minutes after it began.

* * *

**ow to get that freakin' song out of my head; arqh.x**


	6. Doorsale

**Chapter 4 – Doorsale**

* * *

**A/N: **I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! at all!

* * *

Seto Kaiba stood outside Tea Gardner's house, his mind raging up a storm. The events of the past week had in no way been pleasant.

First of all, the annoying brat who called herself his cousin had arrived and in the short moments since she had come, not only had she embarrassed him in front of the Geek Squad, she had invited them to his house for a pool party too.

Secondly, as a result of her existence, he was now standing at the doorstep of the geek's number one cheerleader with a jam jar in his hand, a most infuriating piece of paper stuffed in his jeans pocket and a bag filled with other random items that would ensure his ultimate demise today.

Sometimes, he could swear this was all just some nightmare...or a hallucination. However, he didn't do drugs and he knew he wasn't sleeping because even in his dreams, he wouldn't be standing here of all places.

One glance at the small empty jam jar in his hand, and the slip of paper with ten of the most insane dares he had ever heard of, was enough to make his blood boil.

He had lost the bet.

He, the Seto Kaiba, had lost a bet to his prissy little cousin who had proven that it was possible to ask another girl out on a date without being suggesting it as a lesbian.

He should've known.

He should've included this possibility into his calculations.

But for some reason, he didn't.

He had made the mistake that hindered him time and time again in many past situations that involved other people.

He had underestimated her.

And she had used it to her advantage.

* * *

**3 Days Ago**

_"You cheated!"_

_Stella flinched slightly as her furious cousin, Seto, slammed a piece of pink paper onto the coffee table she was sitting on. The noise produced by the impact of his action was enough to pry Mokuba's eyes away from the television set and onto the situation at hand._

_"In my country, we exchange a pleasant 'good morning' before accusing each other of things we didn't do," Stella quickly regained her composure and gave Seto the biggest smile she could muster, "Good morning, dearly beloved cousin. I trust you slept well?" She placed her nail filer on the coffee table before stretching out her hand and blowing at her nails._

_"Shut up." Seto spat and pointed at the paper he had slammed onto the table, "What the hell is this?"_

_"It's a piece of paper."_

_"Yes it is. What is written on the paper?"_

_"The dares you have to do as a result of losing."_

_"I. Did not. Lose." Seto said, slowly and dangerously for Stella to understand._

_"Uh, yes you did!"_

_"I did not."_

_"You completely totally did!"_

_"Stella. Asking Gardner to come shopping with me does NOT qualify for a win!"_

_"Why not?"_

_"First of all," Seto threw Stella a dictionary from a nearby bookshelf, "The word 'date' does not mean 'shopping with someone'."_

_Mokuba snatched the dictionary from Stella's lap and quickly looked for the word 'date'._

_"Secondly, the deal was to score the date for yourself."_

_Stella faked a confused look, "I never said anything like that. I said 'score a date'. Not 'score a date with me'."_

_"What?"_

_"Hey Seto?"_

_"WHAT?"_

_Mokuba winced at his brother's tone of voice but quickly shrugged it off and proceeded to read from the dictionary. "The dictionary says that a date may also include 'any social activity arranged in advance'."_

_Seto narrowed his eyes at the Cheshire Cat grin that spread itself from Mokuba's left ear to his right._

_Mokuba handed the dictionary back to Stella who swept the paper from the coffee table, folded it neatly and placed it in the chest pocket of Seto's uniform blazer. She giggled as his chest reverberated with his low growl._

_"Well, dear cousin, we wouldn't want to be late for school! Come, Mokuba!"_

_"Yeah, Seto!" Mokuba exclaimed happily, snatching his bag from the ground, "Let's get outta here!"_

* * *

So here he was. In front of Gardner's house about to make a complete fool of himself.

An unconscious blush crept up on his cheeks when he truly realized whose house he was standing in front of.

The girl who lived in this house was Tea Gardner.

The girl who supported the geeks as their friendship spokesperson and had been in the background of his life for the past two years. From Duelist Kingdom, everything he had participated in that involved Duel Monsters, she had been there. But perhaps that was only because his arch-rival, Yugi Moto was her best friend.

Tea Gardner.

The girl who danced so magnificently, so gracefully, it was enough to make even someone like him stop and stare for a while.

What was it about her?

She was just a girl after all. And Seto Kaiba had no time for girls.

He had his work to focus on, his little brother to look after.

But every time he saw her...things happened. Things that never happened on any other occasion. Things that he would never readily, openly admit to anyone, including himself. Things he hated because he was powerless to control it.

And he hated being powerless. More than he hated most things.

There was just something in the way her crystal blue eyes shone that took his breath away.

Something about how her hair shifted when she tilted her head to the side that caught his attention.

Something about the genuine smile she had ready for anyone made his heart beat faster.

Something about the way anyone could be friends with her made his palms sweat.

And it wasn't because he was repulsed by her.

No not at all.

He...he just didn't know.

"Seto!" A cheery kid's scratchy voice interrupted Seto's thoughts and has him crashing back down to earth. "Hurry up!"

"What the hell?" Seto snapped. He turned around to see his little brother hanging out of the window of a limousine that he hadn't been aware of, with a video camera at hand. "Mokuba, it's Sunday. Go home and work on your homework!"

"Okay, big bro!" Mokuba winked at his brother and then shouted to the driver, "Hey, James! Get me home!"

Seto shook his head as the limousine drove past, Mokuba waving vigorously at him from his place in the window.

Once the limousine was out of sight, Seto Kaiba returned to the present situation at hand.

Gripping tightly onto the jar still in his hand, Kaiba advanced towards the door of the Gardner's residence.

Who would be living with her?

Parents? Siblings? Other random relatives?

What would she be wearing?

He examined his own clothes. This morning Stella had thrown him a pair of dark denim jeans, a grey leather jacket and Nike shoes. He hadn't worn them but now that he thought about it, perhaps he should of. For the first time in his life, his signature silver trench coat was feeling a bit over the top. Tea had seen him in it a thousand times over but in those times, he hadn't cared.

Today...?

Raising his hand to knock on the door, a million questions passed through his brain.

One in particular halted his knock and forced him to look once again at the empty jar he held.

What would she think of him?

A century seemed to pass before Seto Kaiba finally decided to knock on the door.

He hoped nobody was home.

_Never again,_ he promised himself before he knocked.

After a few seconds, a little girl opened the door. She looked to be about six years old, familiar crystal blue eyes and brunette hair, and tiny in comparison to him.

_She must be Tea's younger sister._

He noted what the girl was wearing. A pure white frock with a white ribbon in her hair.

_Dammit. They're going to church. This isn't going to be pretty._

"Can I help you?" A timid voice escaped her and she quickly lowered her eyes from the tall man before her.

Seto rolled his eyes and knelt down, holding out his empty jar to the little girl. There were ten of the most insane dares he had ever heard of on the piece of paper Stella had given to him. The very first dare said he was to try and sell an empty jar to whoever answered the door of Tea Gardner's house by convincing them that there were ghosts inside.

"Hello. Would you like to buy this jar of ghosts?" The words sounded absolutely stupid in Seto's mouth and he cursed his cousin in his mind before cursing himself for agreeing to any of this crap.

The girl's eyes widened as she stared at the empty jar. She backed away slowly from Seto as if he were going to attack her and retreated into the house, running as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Seto rolled his eyes and let out a frustrated sigh when he heard her voice shriek, "Mommy, there's a strange man outside. He said he was going to let ghosts out onto me from his jar."

Now he knew how doorsalesmen felt.

"Honey, that's ridiculous." He heard an older woman's voice chide. "There's no such thing as ghosts."

His heart skipped a beat at the woman's next sentence.

"Tea, darling! Can you see who's at the front door, please?"

A strange, but familiar feeling began to grip him when he heard the reply.

"Coming!"

Seto gulped involuntarily.

He couldn't account for the strange feeling that slowly began its assault on his senses. It started somewhere deep within his chest, then spread to his shoulders, to the pit of his stomach; down his arms, his legs, to his fingertips, to the soles of his feet.

"Tea, don't go! That man is going to gobble you up into his jar of ghosts."

His heart began to quicken as light footsteps suddenly became audible to him.

"Kayla, don't be like that. I'm sure he's a nice man."

He could swear time was going even slower than usual.

"But Tea!" He heard the girl's voice. "He's so so so tall and his eyes are blue!"

"So are yours, Kayla."

"I know. But his are a dark blue. Kind of like night time!"

The voices stopped.

* * *

Thanks for reading. R&R

Stay tuned in and I'll update if people still want me to continue.


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